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Van Buren Freshman Academy Evacuated

Update: The Freshman Academy at Van Buren High School has been deemed safe, and students and staff have returned to classrooms, according to a 10:40 a.m. message from the school.

The school had received an unconfirmed bomb threat, according to a 10:06 a.m. message from the school.

Van Buren schools have received multiple unfounded threats over the past month.

On March 27, the school was briefly evacuated because of an unfounded bomb threat. Students and staff were allowed to re-enter the building after investigators deemed the school safe.

The school was also evacuated March 13 because of an unfounded bomb threat, prompting officials to cancel classes. A student was arrested the next day when he was caught trying to leave a threatening message on a bathroom wall.

Administrators met with students two weeks ago to address the seriousness and danger of the threats. Principal Eddie Tipton, along with Cpl. Rick Patterson, the school’s resource officer, stressed possible measures the school could take if the students responsible for the threats are not identified, including restricting bathroom access, taking away student privileges or extending the school year.